Centering and guide means for punch presses for continuous strip material



Jan. 11, 1955 Filed Aug. 19. 1949 S. H. CENTERING AND GUIDE MEANS FOR PUNCH PRESSES NORTON FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet l [HZ/EJ727721 20 Samuel HMPZO/Z Jan. 11, 1955 ORITON 2,699,209

S. H. N CENTERING AND GUIDE MEANS FOR PUNCH PRESSES FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 19, 1949 4 sheets'sheet 2 fnyenfur Hays Jan. 11, 1955 s. H. NORTON 2,699,209

- CENTERING AND GUIDE MEANS FOR PUNCH PRESSES FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL Filed Aug. 19, 1 949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 2 L2.z-, MM zz/ Jan. 11, 1955 s. H. NORTON CENTERING AND GUIDE MEANS FOR PUNCH PRESSES FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 19, 1949 [Hz ERIE? SameZff/Varfwz United States Patent CENTERING AND GUIDE MEANS FOR PUNCH PRESSES FOR CONTINUOUS STRIP MATERIAL Samuel H. Norton, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to Thompson Products, Inc., Cleveland, @hio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 1-9, 1949, Serial No. 111,311

8 Claims. (Cl. 164-110) A principal object of my invention is to provide an improved form of centering guide for intermittently traveling strip material, centering the strip with respect to a die and accommodating the strip to intermittently travel for successive punching operations thereon, and guiding the strip and maintaining the strip in centered relation with respect to its die during a punching operation and during travel therealong.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide a novel and eflicient form of apparatus arranged to intermittently perform a plurality of simultaneous operations on flat strip material at regularly spaced intervals along its length, together with a novel guide means therefor arranged to engage opposite sides of the strip material and accurately guide and hold it in centered relation without play between the strip and guide means and to have yieldable clamping engagement with the sides of the material when the material is stopped and during the punching operation, and releasable during the feeding operation to accurately guide and allow the material to pass to the next succeeding punching and forming operation and to accurately guide it thereto.

These and other objects from time to time as the ceeds and with reference to wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary end view of a punch presshavinga punch and die assembly constructed in accordance with my invention associated therewith and looking toward the discharge end of the press;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the punch press shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is'a plan view of the strip piston ring material showing the various operations performed thereon and the locations along the strip at which they are performed;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the die assembly with certain parts thereof broken away and with certain other parts shown in substantially horizontal section in order to more clearly shown certain details of the equalizing centering guide and;

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial longitudinal sectional view taken through the center of a punch and die apparatus and showing the centering end thereof.

The piston ring stock formed in accordance with my invention is shown in Figure 3' in its' several stages of completion, all of which are effected in a single punching and forming operation from a flat strip of steel which may be high carbon steel such as SAE 1096 containing 0.95% carbon. Said strip material may be in the form of a continuous strip unwound from a reel and of my invention will appear following specification prothe accompanying drawings fed to a punch press 11 incorporating a punch and die assembly constructed in accordance with my invention by means of a pair of intermittently rotating pinch rolls 12, 12 at the entering end of said punch press. Said pinch rolls may be driven from the mechanism for operating the punch head of the press by a ratchet mechanism indicated generally by reference character 13 and not shown in detail since it is no part of my invention. Said ratchet mechanism may be operated by an eccentric 14 and link 15 operated from the drive shaft for the punch head. The drive to said pinch rolls attained by said ratchet mechanism may be such as to feed the strip 10 after the and to hold said strip the punching operation.

The piston ring strip, as it enters the punch press 11,

from feeding movement during.

punches have been stripped therefrom is first rectangularly pierced at various aligned points therealong to provide a series of equally spaced transverse slots 16, 16 along its center to form a ladder-like strip and leave a relatively rigid blank. The strip is then advanced through the punch and die assembly a' predetermined distance and again pierced along its center. Upon the succeeding feeding operations from the second piercing operation, the portion of the strip which has previously been pierced is then alternately slit and bent downwardly, leaving alternate tabs 17, 17 extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central slotted portion thereof, and the leading portion of the strip previously pierced, slit and alternately bent downwardly is then given a finish bending operation to form piston ring stock of U-shaped formation having a central uniformiy slotted web with alternately slit crowns extending therefrom in parallel relation with respect to each other. The stock so formed my then be formed into rings either directly from the punch and die assembly or from a reel (not shown) on which the completed strip stock may be coiled in accordance with the method and apparatus disclosed in my application Serial No. 111,312, filed herewith.

The punch press 11 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as being a well known form of reciprocating press having a frame 20 with a pair of parallel spaced vertical guides 21 at the upper part thereof and forming a vertical guide for a punch head 23, reciprocably moved along said guide by a suitable reciprocating drive mechanism (not shown), and driven from a transverse shaft 24 having the eccentric 14 at one end thereof. Said punch press, punch head and reciprocating drive mechanism may be of a form well known to those skilled in the art and are no part of my present invention, so herein shown and described only in sufficient detail to make my present invention readily understandable.

The punch head 23- has a plate 25 secured to its bot-- tom and has a female tending longitudinally therealong and opening toward the ground. Said guide is adapted to receive a corresponding male guide portion 27 of a punch shoe 29. Said punch shoe is guided for vertical reciprocable movement on longitudinally spaced pins 30, 30 projecting upwardly from a die shoe 31. Said die shoe is mounted on and projects upwardly from a base plate or table 32 for the punch press.

The punch shoe 29 depending from the plate 25 is herein shown as having a downwardly opening channel 33 formed therein and extending longitudinally therealongfrom one end to the other. Said channel is adapted to receive and hold a plurality of piercing punches 36, 36 disposed at the entering end of the punch and die assembly, and a plurality of locating or aligning punches 37, 37 spaced in advance of said piercing punches. Said punches extend downwardly through a clamping member 35' which is also mounted in said channel.

The channel 3-3 in the punch shoe 29 also has a clamping member 38 mounted therein and forming a clamping member for a next succeeding group of slitting and bending punches indicated generally by reference character 40' in Figure l for effecting the initial slitting and bending and finish bending operations on the strip and forming it into a uniform strip of U-shaped cross section having parallel spaced alternately slit crowns extending. along opposite sides of the slotted portion thereof.

The die shoe 31 has an upwardly opening channel 43 extending therea'long and having an inner die shoe 41' mounted therein. Said inner die shoe has a longitudinal channel 42 mounted a plurality of piercing dies 45, 45 arranged to register with the piercing punches 36, 36 during the punching operation. Said spacers also form spacers for locating dies 46, 46for the locating punches 37, 37. Said piercing and locating dies are held in' position in said spacer and inner die shoe by retaining or clamping members 49, 49 extending along said spacers and recessed in the channel 42. Flat-headed machine screws 51-, 51 are provided to secure said retaining members to said channel.

portion 26 of a dovetail guide exformed therein within which are for vertical floating movement with respect to the inner die 41 on guide pins 63, 63 extending downwardly therefrom and slidably guided in said inner die. Said stripper plate may be of a split construction with the parts thereof secured together by transversely extending machine screws 65, 65 and having a plurality of spaced facing and registering vertically extending slots formed therein to provide piercing and locating punch-receiving slots (not shown) through which the piercing punches 36, 36 and locating punches 37, 37 may reciprocably move. A plurality of compression springs 69, 69 are seated in upwardly opening spring-receiving sockets 70, 70 formed in said inner die shoe 44 and abut the bottom of said stripper plate 64 to support and urge said stripper plate to move in a direction away from said inner die shoe. Suitable compression springs (not shown) may be seated in the stripper plate 64 and project upwardly therefrom and may be engaged by the bottom of the punch clamp 35 upon downward movement of the punch head 23 to move said stripper plate downwardly into engagement with the fiat strip piston ring material and to hold said stripper plate into engagement therewith during the piercing thereof and as said piercing punches are withdrawn therefrom to strip said punches from the pierced material and prevent deformation thereof.

The locating punches 37, 37 spaced in advance of the piercing punches have lower end portions converging to points and perform no punching function. Said locating punches are mounted in the punch holder 35 in a manner similar to which said piercing punches are mounted therein, and the converging or pointed lower ends thereof are adapted to register with the slots 16, 16 pierced in the piston ring material upon downward movement of said locating punches in advance of said piercing punches to accurately locate the material at the beginning of each feeding operation and thus to assure uniform spacing of the slots pierced therein and also uniform spacing of the succeeding slitting and forming operations.

The channel 43 extending along the die shoe 31 has a die holder 79 mounted therein in advance of the inner die shoe 41 and the piercing and locating dies 45 and 46 respectively. Said die holder 79 has an open central portion and has two similar die plates 80, 80 recessed therein and secured to said die holder by machine screws 81, 81 (Figure 4).

Referring now in particular to certain novel features of my invention and the aligning guide for the strip, as it is pierced and passes beneath the piercing punches 36, 36, so arranged as to accurately align the strip during the punching and feeding operations with no play, said aligning guide is formed from two laterally spaced guide plates 127, 127 slidably engageable with opposite sides of the strip along the dies 45 and 46 (Figures 4 and Each guide plate 127 has two longitudinally spaced bearing pads 128, 128 engageable with the strip prior to entering the region of the piercing and locating punches 36 and 37 and after leaving said locating punches. Said guide plates are slidably supported adjacent their discharge ends on the top surface of the slitting and bending die plates 80, 80. Each of said guide plates 127 has an outer vertical inclined engaging surface 129 inclined inwardly from its discharge end toward the strip (Figure 4).

The inclined engaging surfaces 129, 129 of the guide plates 127, 127 are engaged by inclined cam surfaces 130, 130 of laterally spaced cam members 131 having retaining flanges 132, 132 extending over the tops of said guide plates. Said cam members are secured to and project upwardly from the top surface of a transversely adjustable carrier member 133 slidably guided in the die shoe 31. Set screws 134, 134 threaded in opposite deepnding ends 135, 135 of said carrier memher, and engaging the outer sides of said shoe 31, are provided to adjust said cam members 130, 130 with respect to said die shoe and to center the guide and strip with respect to the respective punches and dies in the assembly (Figures 1 and 4). Clamping strips 136, 136 extending over said carrier member, and clamped in engagement therewith, are provided to retain said carrier member to said guide shoe.

The ends of said guide plates adjacent the entering end of the punch press slidably rest on the top surface of a plate 137 projecting from the entering end of the punch and die shoe 31 and have inclined engaging surfaces 138, 138, like the inclined engaging surfaces 129, 129, which are engaged by similar inclined cam surfaces 139, 139 of cam members 140, 140. Said cam members are mounted on and project upwardly from an adjustable carrier member 141, slidably mounted in a transverse slot 142 formed in the top surface of the plate 137. Said carrier member likewise has depending outer end portions through which extend set screws 144, 144 to afford a means for adjusting the position of said inclined cam surfaces 139, 139 and to center said guide plates 127, 127 with respect to the dies 45, 45. Clamping strips 145, 145 are provided to clamp said carrier member in position.

The ends of guide plates 127, 127 adjacent the entering end of the machine have trunnion supports 146, 146 projecting upwardly therefrom. A transverse pin 147, mounted at its ends in said trunnion supports, is herein shown as extending through a boss 148 formed integrally with the head end of a hollow cylinder 149 and as being secured thereto as by a set screw 150. Said cylinder is slidably mounted within the cylindrical inner portion of a boss 151 for extensible movement therefrom. A spring 152 seated within said cylinder 149 is interposed between the closed head end of said cylinder and a closure plate 153 for said boss, and tends to urge said cylinder 149 and the guide plates 127, 127 toward the entering end of the machine, and thus to move said guide plates along the cam surfaces 130, and 139, 139 in a direction to engage the bearing pads 128, 128 with opposite sides of the strip at points spaced longitudinally therealong. The boss 151 is herein shown as being formed integrally with and projecting upwardly from a bracket 154- secured to the plate 137 on opposite sides of said guide plates 127, 127 and as extending over said guide plates and the strip passing through the punch ress.

P When the strip is stationary, the guide formed by the guide plates 127, 127 engaging opposite sides of the strip at longitudinally spaced points is thus engaged with the strip to hold it in position with no play by the compression spring 152 urging said guide plates to move toward the entering end of the machine against the cam surfaces 130, 130 and 139, 139, moving said guide plates 127, 127 into engagement with the strip.

When, however, the strip is fed through the machine by the pinch rolls 12, 12 the tendency will be for the guide plates 127, 127 to move with the strip against the compression spring 152. Movement of said guide plates in this direction will compress said spring and allow said guide plates to move along the cam surfaces 130, 130 and 139, 139 in a direction to release said guide plates from the strip. Under this condition, said guide plates will form a slidable centering guide for the strip and permit the strip to be fed through the punch press against the resistance offered thereto by said guide plates in centered or aligned relation with respect to the piercing and locating punches 36, 36 and 37, 37 and to the next succeeding group of slitting and forming punches 40, 40.

A predetermined pressure is thus exerted against opposite sides of the strip during the punching and forming operations when the strip is stationary, which is relieved during feeding movement thereof and is determined by the strength and loading of the spring 152. This guide means therefore offers an automatically equalized resistance against the strip during travel through the machine and forms a self-aligning guide means therefor.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material and having a die, a punch head movable toward and from said die and having a punch mounted therein and movable therewith into punching registry with said die, the improvement comprising an elongated equalizing aligning guide engaging opposite sides of the strip on opposite sides of said die and including two guide plates, one positioned on each side of the strip and mounted for movement therewith by frictional engagement with the sides thereof, cam means having engagement with said guide plates and allowing said plates to move away from the sides of the strip upon movement therewith, and yicldable means urging said guide plates to move along said cam means in a direction to be engaged with the sides of the strip by said cam means.

2. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material intermittently fed from one end to the other of the press, a die, a punch head movable toward and from said die and a punch mounted therein and movable into punching registry with said die, the improvement comprising an elongated equalizing aligning guide adapted to slidably engage opposite sides of the strip and including two guide plates, one positioned on each side of the strip and mounted for movement therewith by frictional engagement with the sides thereof, cam means having engagement with said guide plates and so constructed and arranged as to allow said guide plates to move away from the sides of the strip upon movement therewith, and yieldable means urging said guide plates to move along the strip in a direction opposite to the direction of travel thereof and moving said guide plates along said cam means in a direction to engage the sides of the strip and hold the strip in position during the punching operation.

3. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material, intermittently fed from one end to the other of the press and having a die, a punch movable through said die to effect the punching operation, and a punch head for moving said punch into punching registry with said die, the improvement comprising an elongated equalizing aligning guide adapted to slidably engage opposite sides of the strip and including two guide plates, one being on each side of the strip and mounted for movement therewith by frictional engagement with the sides thereof, each of said guide plates having an inclined engaging surface inclined toward the strip, a plurality of cams having inclined cam surfaces engaging said inclined engaging surfaces of said guide plates and so constructed and arranged as to release said guide plates from the strip upon movement therewith, and to engage said guide plates with opposite sides of the strip upon movement in a direction opposite to the direction of travel thereof, spring means operatively connected with said guide plates and urging said guide plates to move in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip through the punch press and to move along said cam surfaces in a direction to effect engagement of said guide plates with the sides of the strip and to hold the strip in position during the punching operation.

4. In a punch press adapted to punch continuous strip material in a plurality of intermittent operations and having a die, a punch movable through said die to effect the punching operation and a punch head for moving said punch into punching registry with said die, the improvement comprising an elongated equalizing aligning guide engaging opposite sides of the strip at longitudinally spaced apart points and including two guide plates, slidably mounted for movement longitudinally of the strip on opposite sides thereof, each of said guide plates having two longitudinally spaced vertically extending horizontally inclined plane surfaces inclined in the same direction toward the center of the strip, a plurality of fixed cams having engagement with said inclined surfaces to urge said guide plates into engagement with the strip upon movement of said guide plates in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip, and to release said guide plates from the strip upon movement of said guide plates in the direction of travel thereof, and a compression spring operatively connected with said guide plates and urging said guide plates to move in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip through the apparatus and along said cam surfaces in a direction to engage said guide plates with the sides of the strip.

5. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material advancing through the press with a step-by-step movement, an elongated equalizing aligning guide including two guide plates mounted for limited rectilinear movement along the strip and slidably engageable with opposite sides thereof, yieldable means urging said plates to move in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip, and cam means so constructed and arranged as to bring said guide plates into clamping engagement with the strip upon movement of said plates in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip, and to release said plates from the strip upon travel thereof with the strip.

6. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material advancing through the press with a step-by-step movement, an elongated equalizing aligning guide including two guide plates mounted for limited rectilinear movement along the strip and slidably engageable with opposite sides thereof, yieldable means urging said plates to move in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip, and cam means engageable with said guide plates and operative to engage said plates with opposite sides of the strip upon the stopping of advancing movement thereof, and to release said plates from the strip upon movement of said plates with the strip by frictional engagement therewith.

7. In a punch press adapted to intermittently punch continuous strip material advancing through the press with a stepby-step movement, an elongated equalizing aligning guide including two guide plates mounted for limited rectilinear movement along the strip and slidably engageable with opposite sides thereof, yieldable means urging said plates to move in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the strip, and cam means engageable with said guide plates and operative to engage said plates with opposite sides of the strip upon the stopping of advancing movement thereof, and to release said plates from the strip upon movement of said plates with the strip by frictional engagement therewith, said cam means including stationary members associated with said guide plates and cooperating inclined engaging surfaces on said stationary members and said guide plates.

8. In a punch press for punching intermittently traveling continuous strip material during a dwell in the travel thereof and having a stationary die, an elongated equalizing guide for the strip on said die and comprising two guide plates extending along opposite sides of the strip and having parallel faces for engaging and holding the strip in centered relation with respect to said die, spaced members associated with said guide plates for guiding said guide plates for movement with and outwardly from the strip by frictional engagement with the strip upon advance of the strip along said die, to release said guide plates from the strip, and means having connection with said guide plates and yieldably restraining movement thereof and reacting against said spaced members to maintain said guide plates in engagement with the strip when the strip is stationary.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 456,578 Long July 28, 1891 854,706 Eden May 21, 1907 1,286,210 Beugler Dec. 3, 1918 1,481,212 Keller Jan. 15, 1924 1,630,715 Nice May 31, 1927 1,915,531 Irmis June 27, 1933 2,171,785 Drucker et al Sept. 5, 1939 2,228,494 Wilson Jan. 14, 1941 2,311,728 Bowers 'Feb. 23, 1943 2,311,729 Bowers Feb. 23, 1943 2,325,290 Wales July 27, 1943 2,334,138 Wales Nov. 9, 1943 2,334,243 Bowers Nov. 16, 1943 2,346,100 Wright Apr. 4, 1944 2,346,898 Bowers Apr. 18, 1944 2,377,599 Allen June 5, 1945 2,378,603 Wales June 19, 1945 2,454,432 Crandall Nov. 23, 1948 2,479,949 McPheat Aug. 23, 1949 2,479,950 McPheat Aug. 23, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 328,674 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1930 

